Refrigerator



E. E. FOWLER REFRIGERATOR April 30, 1935.

E inventor Bg r pril 30, 1935. I E. E. FOWLER REFRIGERATOR Filed March 22, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 EEZ/awww nventor April 3o, 1935. E. E. FOWLER l' l REFRIGERATOB Filed March 22. 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet ftornegs E. E. FOWLE'R pril 30, 1935.

REFRIGERATOR Filed March 22, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheec 4 E FZhwentor 1 ttornegs I. Patented Apr. 30, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATOR Everett E. Fowler, New York, N. Y.

Application March 22, 1933, Serial No. 662,147

29 Claims. (C1. 6246) This invention relates to refrigerators and it ciency of the refrigerator will be reduced mateis more especially an improvement upon the rially. The present invention has for an object structure disclosed in an application filed by to gradually speed up the velocity of the air as it George Lange, Rudolph Sommers and Mackay moves away from its point of first contact with C. Saylor on October 25, 1932', Serial Number the grid so that While its temperature gradually 5 639,488. lowers, the velocity of the air will increase to such It is characteristic of this refrigerator that a an extent as to maintain a substantially uniform corrugated partition or grid is interposed beheat transfer, thereby insuring the uniform melttween the ice compartment and thestorage or age which is so desirable. l food compartment, this grid or partition being With the foregoing and other objects in view 10 adapted to be chilled by ice and ice-water supwhich will appear as the description proceeds the ported thereon so that the air circulating within invention resides in certain novel steps in the the storage or food compartment does not come method of chilling air and in certain novel details into direct contact with any part of the ice but of construction and combinations of parts which i will flow along the said chilled surface and will. be will be hereinafter more fully described and l5 maintained in a washed condition and in a depointed out in the claims, it being understood that sirable state of humidity by ice-water overowing changes may be made in the construction and arfrom the partition or grid. rangement of parts and in the steps of the method Anl object of the present invention is to provide herein disclosed without departing from the spirit 2o a means for preventing the escape of any portion of the invention as claimed. 20 of the air from the compartment being chilled In the accompanying drawings there has been into the compartment containing the ice. illustrated a refrigerator constructed in accord- It is another object of the invention to provide ance with the present invention, it being underthe refrigerator with a double grid whereby the stood thatthe term refrigerator as herein used circulating air is caused to travel with increasing is to be construed as of suflicent scope to apply 25 velocity within restricted passages within the to any structure wherein one or more compartgrid, the increasing velocity being in proportion ments are to be chilled by air circulating therein to the drop in temperature of the air within the and chilled by an ice-cooled surface. Among passages so that a substantally uniform meltage such structures may be mentioned ordinary reof the supported ice will be maintained throughfrigerators of all sizes, show-cases or counters, 30

' out the area of the bottom surface thereof. rooms or compartments in buildings, railway cars,

A still further object is to utilize excess iceetc. water for the purpose not only of washing and In said drawings: humidifying the air within the compartment be- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section ing chilled but also to employ it as a water seal through the upper portion of a refrigerator, said 35 whereby the air can be guided properly to insection being taken longitudinally of the grid. sure correct distribution thereof to different Figure 2 is a horizontal section through the parts of the grid. ice compartment of the structure shown in Fig- A still further object is to provide a means for ure 1, aportion of the grid being broken away to 40 keeping the air out of contact with the walls of show the pan and the air-distributing ue there- 40 the refrigelal at points where it leaves the under, a portion of the pan being broken away to cooling grid, thereby to prevent the walls from show its supporting means. sweating at these points. Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section through Another object is to so direct the flow ,of excess the central portion of the grid at one side of the water as to insure thorough washing of the air grid thereof, said section being on the line 3-3, 45

and the maintenance of a substantially uniform Figure 1.

percentage of humidity under all working condi- Figure 4 is a section through a portion of the tions. grid taken on the line 4 4, Figure 3.

It has been found in practice that unless the Figure 5 is a section on line 5 5, Figure 4. ow of air is properly controlled along the sur- Figure 6 is a-section on line 6 6, Figure 4. 50

face of the ice supporting grid, the meltage of Figure 7 is an enlarged vertical transverse secthe ice at the point of first contact by the air ltion through a portion of the grid and illustratwith the grid will be much more rapid than at ing, more especially, the tapered passage for the other points. Consequently the ice will not melt flow of air between the members of the grid.

uniformly along its bottom surface and the ef- Referring to the figures by characters of ref- 55 10 the structure I to provide air outlet spaces 1 open-v erence I designates the casing of the refrigerator which can be of any suitable construction properly insulated. The interior of the casing is provided with a suitably located partition 2 which,

5 in large structures, can be mounted on supports 3.

This partition separates the interior of the refrigerator into an ice compartment 4 and a lower or storage chamber 5. 'I'he partition 2 supports a pan 6 which is spaced from two opposed walls of ing downwardly into the compartment 5. The ends of the pan can extend up to the adjacent walls of the structure I s as to prevent communication between the compartments along said l ends.

An air-inlet opening 8 is formed within the pan lpreferably mid-way between the spaces 'I and ex- Y tends practically from one end to the other of the pan. This opening coincides with an outer trough 9 secured within an opening I9 in partition 2 and if desired the bottom of the trough can be formed with side anges I I detachably secured by bolts I2 or the like to the partition. An inner trough I3 is surrounded by the trough 9 and has its walls spaced therefrom to form a continuous gutter I4. The bottom of this inner trough is provided with a drain outlet I5 adapted to discharge waste water into a drain pipe or the like. At any other suitable point in the trough there is provided an air-inlet I6 for receiving air from the upper portion of the compartment 5. A blower or the like, not shown, can be utilized for setting up a forced circulation of air through this inlet I6.

The pan 6,' which is provided at its edges with a low wall or ange I1 is inclined downwardly gradually from said walled edges to the sides of the opening 8 and the trough 9 so that any water entering the pan will flow therealong and into the trough.

The grid which is used in connection with the ters 2|.

gation has an. outlet-opening 23 at a predetermined water level and extending to each of these openings is an overflow tube 24 or the like, the inlet end of which is below the level of the opening 23. Thus when the gutters 2I contain icewater, the level of the water will be permitted to rise until it reaches the openings 23 whereupon excess water will flow through the openings into the space under the corrugated plate I8. As the tubes 24 extend below the water level, it will not be possible for air which is under plate I8 to iiow through the openings 23 and come into contact .with ice supported by the plate I8.

The plate I9 which is supported beneath the plate I8, has corrugations 25 which are straddled "rgby the corrugations of the'plate I8 but are spaced -4`therefrom. These 'corrugations 25 form'dead air spaces 28 thereunder, the outer ends of -which are closed by plates 2'Irwhile` the inner ends of the :"*dead air spaces are 'closed by a vplate 28 which `extends downwardlyV into the gutter I4-v and "'aroundthe trough I3. Each of the corrugations '-25 is gradually increased in size from its center toward its outer end so. that the passages 29 provided between the Acorrugated plates I 8 and I9 will gradually diminish in transverse area toward the ends of the corrugatons.

Adjacent to the bottom of eaclrl of the corrugations 25 and between the spaces 26 there are provided air ports 30 which can be in the form of slots whereby air is free to ow into the passages 29.

A deiiecting shield 3I is arranged in each of the outlet spaces 1 and is preferably formed of a sheet of metal the greater portion of which is out of contact with the casing I. arranged below abutments 32 which overlie the opposed sides of the grid plate I8 so as to cut off communication at these points between the compartments 4 and 5. The shields are curved outwardly and downwardly from the grid and serve These shields are 1 to deflect the air currents downwardly toward each other beneath the partition 2. At the same time, by using shields as described, the casing I will be prevented from sweating where the cold air issues from between the grid plates.

In using this refrigerator the ice is stored in the chamber 4 so as to rest upon the upper plate I8 of the grid. The ice, through its contact with this plate will slowly melt at its bottom surface and the ice-water thus produced will rise within the gutters 2I where the level of the water will be maintained by the openings 23. Portions of the ice will project into these gutters and remain constantly in contact with the water trapped in the gutters with the result that the temperature of this water will be maintained at a low degree and a corresponding low temperature of the plate I8 will also be maintained.

Excess water will drain from the several gut-- -of the plate 28 which not only closes the inner ends of the dead air spaces 2B but also extends around the ends of the inner trough I3. This results in the formation of a water seal, as will be apparent by referring to Figure 3 and as thesupply of water in the gutter is continued from pan 6 the excess will drain over the walls of the inner trough I3 and ow to the outlet I5.

. During the travel of the water as explained air is admitted through the inlet I6 and is distributed by inner trough I3 throughout the area surrounded by the water seal. The air will escape by way 0f slots or ports 30 into the several passages 29. As the air cannot pass through the upper plate I8 by way of the openings 23 all portions thereof will be caused to flow longitudinally of the passages 29 toward the respective ends thereof where it will escape over the adjacent ends of the pan 6 and be deflected downwardly by the plates 3I into the compartment 5.

The air is warmest at the point where it enters the trough I3. Here it will be partly humidied and washed by the water vto which it is exposed. As the air enters the ports k3I! and travels along the passages 29 it willbe subjected to further humidifying and washing action through its contact with the water draining along said passages. Due to the gradual reduction in area of the passages 29 toward their ends, resulting from the convergence of the corrugations of the two plates I8 and I9, the flow of thea-air toward the outlet ends of the passages can be so accelerated as to effect a substantially uniform transfer of thermal units throughout the area of the plate I8 with the result that all portions of the bottom surface of the ice will be subjected to a substantially uniform melting action.

Importance is attached to the fact that it is impossible for any of the air within the compartment 5 to enter compartment 4, this being due tothe fact that each of the water outlets 23 is water-sealed by the tube 24.

Obviously as the air travels along the passages 29 it will sweep over the bottom surfaces of the corrugations of the upper plate I8 with gradually increasing pressure thereagainst so that its temperature will be quickly lowered. yAs the air is also washed and humidied as heretofore explained, it becomes possible to keep it odorless; maintain in compartment 5 a. low temperature which remains practically constant; and also produce a high degree of humidity which remains substantially unchanged.

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator including an ice supporting grid comprising superposed plates having nested corrugations contacting along their bottoms to provide air passages therebetween closed at their sides.

2. A refrigerator including an ice supporting grid comprising superposed plates having nested corrugations contacting along their bottoms to provide air passages therebetween closed at their sides each having an air inlet and an air outlet,

-said passages being gradually reduced in size in the direction of their outlets thereby to accelerate the velocity of the air in proportion to the drop in temperature of the air thereby to effect a uniform interchange of heat throughout the area of thepgrid.

3. A refrigerator including an ice supporting grid ycomprising superposed plates having nested corrugations contacting along their bottoms to provide air passages therebetween closed at their sides each having an air inlet and anair outlet. said passages being substantially inverted V-shaped in cross section and gradually reduced in size toward their outlets thereby to accelerate the velocity of the air in proportion to the drop in temperature of the air thereby to effect a uniform interchange of heat throughout the area of the grid.

4. A refrigerator including an ice s upporting grid comprising superposed plates having nested corrugations contacting along their bottoms to provide air passages therebetween closed at their sides, the corrugations of the lower plate converging toward one end of the corrugations in the upper plate to reduce the sizes of the passages gradually toward said end thereby to accelerate the velocity of the air in proportion to the drop in temperature of the air thereby to eiect a uniform interchange of heat throughout the area of the grid.

5. A refrigerator including an ice supporting grid comprising superposed plates having nested corrugations providing air passages therebetween, the corrugations of the `upper plate providing gutters for holding ice-water, and means adapted to be sealed by water in the gutters for directing excess water from the gutters into the air passages.

6. A refrigerator including an ice supporting grid comprising superposed plates having nested corrugations providing air passages therebetween, the corrugations of the upper plate providing gutters for holding ice-water and the corrugations of the lower plate providing dead air spaces thereunder, and means for distributing air into the corrugations under the lower plate at points outside of the dead air spaces, there being ports in said corrugations of the lower plate constituting inlets to the passages for the distributed air.

7. A refrigerator including an ice supporting grid comprising superposed plates having nested corrugations providing air passages therebetween, the corrugations of the upper plate providing gutters for holding ice-water, means adapted to be sealed by water in the gutters for directing excess water from the gutters into the air passages, and a pan extending under the grid for receiving water from the passages.

8. A refrigerator including a pan, an ice supporting grid on the pan comprising superposed plates having nested corrugations providing air passages therebetween, the corrugations of the lower plate forming dead air spaces thereunder, air distributing means opening through the pan for directing air under the grid but outside of the dead air spaces, there being ports for conducting the air through the lower plate into the passages between the plates, the corrugations of the upper plate forming gutters for holding ice-water, and means adapted to be sealed by ice-water in said gutters for directing excess water from the gutters into the air passages, said air passages constituting means for guiding the water therein to the outlet ends of the passages and delivering it onto the pan.

9. In a refrigerator including separate compartments, a pan having an air space across 'an edge thereof, an ice supporting grid supported by the pan and closing communication between the compartments, said grid including superposed plates having nested corrugations cooperating to form air passages therebetween opening above the pan into said air space, said passages., being gradually restricted toward said openings, there being air inlets -in the lower plate opening into the passages.

10. In a refrigerator including separate compartments, a pan having an air space across an edge thereof, an ice supporting grid supported by the pan and closing communication between the compartments, said grid including superposed plates having nested corrugations cooperating to form air passages therebetween opening above the pan into said air space, said passages beingA gradually restricted toward said openings, there being air inlets in the lower plate opening into the passages, the corrugations of the upper plate providing gutters for ice-water, and means adaptt ed to be sealed by water within the gutters for delivering excess water from the gutters into the air passages.

11. In a refrigerator including separate cornpartments, a pan having an air space across an edge thereof, an ice supporting grid supported by the pan and closing communication between the compartments, said grid including superposed plates having nested corrugations cooperating to form air passages therebetween opening above the pan into said air space, said passages being gradually restricted toward said openings, there being air inlets in the lower plate opening into the passages, the corrugations of the upper plate providing vgutters for ice-water, means adapted to be sealed by water within the gutters for delivering excess water from the gutters into the air passages adjacent to the air inlets for delivery along said passages to the pan.

12. In a refrigerator including separate compartments, a -pan having an air space across an edge thereof, an ice supporting grid supported by the pan and closing communication between the compartments, said grid including superposed plates having nested corrugations cooperating to form air passages therebetween opening above the pan into said air space, said passages being gradually restricted toward said openings, there being air inlets in the lower plate opening into the passages, the corrugations of the upper plate providing gutters for ice-water, means adapted to be sealed by water within the gutters for delivering excess water from the gutters into the air passages adjacent to the air inlets for delivery along said passages to the pan, and a deflecting shield suspended in the air space at the edge of the pan for directing air downwardly across said edge and under the pan.

13. In a refrigerator including separate compartments, a pan having an air space thereacross, an ice supporting grid supported by the pan and closing communication between the compartments, said grid including superposed plates having nested corrugations cooperating to form air passages therebetween opening above the pan into said air space, `said passages being gradually restricted toward said openings, there being air inlets in the lower plate opening into the passages, the corrugations of the upper plate providing gutters for ice-water, means adapted to be sealed by water within the gutters for delivering excess water from the gutters into the air passages adjacent to the air inlets for delivery along said passages to the pan, an air distributing trough opening through the pan and into the air inlets, means cooperating with the lower corrugated plate for providing dead air spaces thereunder, and means cooperating with the trough for receiving water from the pan to provide a water seal between the trough and the dead air spaces.

14. A refrigerator including separate chambers, a grid for supporting ice in one of the chambers, said grid having air passages therein for the circulation of air to and from the second chamber, and airtight means for delivering excess ice-water from the ice holding chamber into the passages.

15. A refrigerator including separate chambers, a. grid for supporting ice in one of the chambers, said grid having air passages therein for the circulation of air to and from thesecond chamber, airtight means for delivering excess icewater from the ice holding chamber into the passages, and means sealed by water delivered from the passages for directing air into the passages from said second chamber. l

16. A refrigerator including separate chambers, a grid constituting the bottom of oneof the chambers, said grid constituting means for supporting ice and ice-water in said chamber, passages in the grid for circulating air to and from the other chamber, said passages having means for gradually accelerating the iiow of air while traveling therein, and air-tight means for delivering excess ice-water from the ice holding chamber into the passages and the air currents therein.

1'7. A refrigerator including an icelchamber, gutters in the bottom of the ice chamber for receiving and retaining water produced by the meltage of ice in said chamber, and water sealed means for maintaining the water at a predetermined depth in the gutters.

18. A refrigerator including an ice chamber,

non-communicating ice-supporting gutters in the bottom of the ice chamber for receiving and retaining water produced by the meltage of ice in said chamber, and water sealed means for maintaining the water at a predetermined depth in the gutters.

19. A refrigerator including an ice chamber, non-cummunicating ice-supporting gutters in the bottom of the ice chamber for receiving and retaining water produced by the meltage of ice in said chamber, a second chamber, means for.

guiding the air of said second chamber along the bottom faces of the gutters to cool the air, and water sealed means for maintaining the water in said gutters at a .predetermined depth and delivering excess water from the gutters into .the air being cooled.

20. A refrigerator including separate compartments, a horizontal ice supporting grid constituting the bottom of one of the compartments, there being an outlet for delivering ice-water from one compartment to the other and for maintaining the water at a uniform depth on the grid, and means for effecting a waterseal at the outlet for the exclusion of air therefrom.

2l. A refrigerator including separate compartments, a substantially horizontal grid constituting the bottom of one of the compartments for holding both ice and ice-water in said compartment, overflow means for maintaining the water on the grid at a uniform depth, and means cooperating with the ice-water in the overflow means for preventing the flow of air to the ice containing compartment from the other compartment. 22. A refrigerator including a pan, an ice supporting grid on the pan comprising superposed plates having nested corrugations providing air passages therebetween, the corrugations of the lower plate forming dead air spaces thereunder, air distributing means opening through the pan for directing air under the grid but outside of the dead air spaces, there being ports for conducting the air through the lower plate into the passages between the plates, the corrugations of the upper plate forming gutters for holding ice-water, and means for directing excess water from the gutters into the air passages, said air passages constituting means for guiding the water therein to the outlets of the passages and delivering i it onto the pan.

23. In a refrigerator including separate compartments, a pan having an air space across an edge thereof, an ice supporting grid supported by the p'an and closing communication between the compartments, said grid including superposed plates having nested corrugations cooperating to form air passages therebetween opening above the pan into said air space, said passages being gradually restricted toward said openings, there being air inlets in the lower plate opening into the passages, the corrugations of the upper plate providing gutters for ice Water, and means for delivering excess water from the gutters into the air passages.

24. In a refrigerator including separate compartments, a pan having an air space across an edge thereof, an ice supporting grid supported by the pan and closing communication between the compartments, said Vgrid including superposed plates having nested corrugations cooperating to form air passages therebetween opening above the pan into said air space, said passages being gradually restricted toward said openings, there being air inlets in the lower plate opening air passages.

26. A refrigerator including a pan, an ice supporting grid on the pan comprising superposed plates having nested corrugations providing air passages therebetween, the corrugations of the lower plate forming dead air spaces thereunder, air distributing means opening through the pan for directing air under the grid but outside of the dead air spaces, there being ports for conducting the air through the lower plate into the passages between the plates, the corrugations of the upper plate forming gutters for holding ice-water, and means for directing excess water from the gutters into the air passages, said air passages constituting means for guiding the water therein to the outlets of the passages and delivering it onto the pan.

27. In a refrigerator including separate compartments, a pan having an'air space across an edge thereof, an icev supporting grid supported by the pan and closing communication between the compartments, said grid including superposed plates having nested corrugations cooperating to form air passages therebetween opening above the pan into said air space, said passages being gradually restricted toward said openings, there being air inlets in the lower plate opening into the passages, the corrugations of the upper plate providing gutters for ice water, and means for delivering excess water from the gutters into the air passages.

28. In a refrigerator including separate compartments, a pan having an air space across ain edge thereof, an ice supporting grid supported by the pan and closing communication between the compartments, said grid including superposed plates having nested corrugations cooperating to form air passages therebetween opening above the pan into said air space, said passages being gradually restricted toward said openings, there being air inlets in the lower plate opening into the passages, the corrugations of the upper plate providing gutters for ice-water, means for delivering excess water from the gutters into the air kpassages adjacent to the air inlets for delivery along said passages to the pan.

29. A refrigerator including a pan, an ice supporting grid on the pan comprising superposed plates having nested corrugations providing air passages therebetween, the corrugations of the lower plate forming dead air spaces thereunder, air distributing means opening through the pan for directing air under the grid but outside of the dead air spaces, there beingv ports for conducting the air through the lower plate into the passages between the plates, the corrugations of the upper plate forming gutters for holding icewater, means adapted to be sealed by ice-water in said gutters for directing excess water from the gutters into the air passages, said air passages constituting means for guiding the water therein to the outlet ends ofthe passages and delivering it onto the pan, and a structure extending varound the air distributing means for receiving water` from the pan to form a water seal for said air distributing means.

EVERETT E. FOWLER. 

